In the last four years, since supercyclone Amphan left the region battered in the summer of 2000, officials and staff members at the Shibpur Botanical Garden have been working to save the trees, some few centuries old, uprooted during the storm.

Amphan had wreaked havoc, uprooting nearly 2,000 trees at the Botanical Garden, officially known as Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden – Asia’s largest.

The supercyclone had damaged the iconic banyan tree, a national treasure. “Two major sections of the banyan tree were hugely damaged and at least one acre of the tree’s 4.3-acre expanse was completely devastated,” said an official.

A massive 200-foot-tall two centuries old Kalptaru tree, also known as the wish tree and a coveted landmark for the visitors, was also uprooted. “Our emotions were attached to it (the Kalpatru tree)… So, after it got uprooted during cyclone Amphan, we were sure we had to get it back,” says Dr Devendra Singh, Joint Director of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden.

Thus began the tale of revival and a gritty resurgence. “Cyclone Amphan of 2000 was a turning point for us. We started studying how to re-establish uprooted plants. We learned about the re-planting techniques and their success rate… We engaged cranes to re-plant the big fallen trees… We started trimming branches and canopies of the fallen trees to reduce their weight… Depending on the nature of the trees — whether it has high or less water-holding capacity — we decide which ones need attention first. These lessons proved invaluable during cyclone Remal this year when nearly 100 trees were uprooted,” Dr Singh says.

Now, there are specialised teams, trained in replanting techniques.

So far, at least 400 uprooted trees, including the Kalpatru tree, have been revived at the garden in the last four years.
Pointing to the Kalpatru tree, Dr Singh says, “These trees were either partially or fully damaged. Out of which approximately 400 small and big trees have been successfully revived.”  However, the heightened cyclonic activity in the Bay of Bengal, leading to frequent landfall of cyclones in the coastal areas of West Bengal, is a cause of worry for the officials at the Botanical Garden.

“First it was Amphan (2000), then came Yash (2021), and now Remal (2024)… The increasing frequency of cyclones is a cause for concern. Hence, we are calling for proactive measures to mitigate the damage,” adds Singh.

“We have faced big losses with trees getting uprooted and threat to species. But we are adapting… After every storm, a dedicated team surveys plant conditions and assesses the feasibility of re-establishing them,” says Dr Singh.

The high water table in the region makes trees vulnerable to uprooting during cyclones as roots are shallow. So, the officials are now considering adding more soil to the surface, raising the ground level by 2 to 3 feet.

“This could significantly reduce the problem of uprooting. Regularly trimming the trees and strategically balancing the tilted trees are now standard practices here. These efforts aim to minimise damage before cyclones strike,” said another official.

The scientists, however, say that the high water table in Bengal also aids in re-planting efforts. The moist soil allows uprooted trees to retain some root systems, facilitating their revival. This advantage, absent in Central India with its lower water table, provides for successfully re-establishing uprooted trees.

Over 8,000 new plants, sourced from diverse regions like the eastern and western Himalayas, have been planted at the Botanical Garden. “The goal is not just replacing the lost trees but enriching the garden with rare and endangered flora,” says Dr Singh.